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assume during the earlier part of the Trial。
Two other ladies （intimate friends of Mrs。 Eustace Macallan） were
called next。 They differed from Lady Brydehaven in their opinions
on the propriety of the marriage but on all the material points
they supported her testimony； and confirmed the serious
impression which the first witness had produced on every person
in Court。
The next evidence which the prosecution proposed to put in was
the silent evidence of the letters and the Diary found at
Gleninch。
In answer to a question from the Bench； the Lord Advocate stated
that the letters were written by friends of the prisoner and his
deceased wife； and that passages in them bore directly on the
terms on which the two associated in their married life。 The
Diary was still more valuable as evidence。 It contained the
prisoner's daily record of domestic events； and of the thoughts
and feelings which they aroused in him at the time。
A most painful scene followed this explanation。
Writing； as I do； long after the events took place； I still
cannot prevail upon myself to describe in detail what my unhappy
husband said and did at this distressing period of the Trial。
Deeply affected while Lady Brydehaven was giving her evidence； he
had with difficulty restrained himself from interrupting her。 He
now lost all control over his feelings。 In piercing tones； which
rang through the Court； he protested against the contemplated
violation of his own most sacred secrets and his wife's most
sacred secrets。 〃Hang me； innocent as I am！〃 he cried； 〃but spare
me _that！_〃 The effect of this terrible outbreak on the audience
is reported to have been indescribable。 Some of the women present
were in hysterics。 The Judges interfered from the Bench； but with
no good result。 Quiet was at length restored by the Dean of
Faculty； who succeeded in soothing the prisoner； and who then
addressed the Judges； pleading for indulgence to his unhappy
client in most touching and eloquent language。 The speech； a
masterpiece of impromptu oratory； concluded with a temperate yet
strongly urged protest against the reading of the papers
discovered at Gleninch。
The three Judges retired to consider the legal question submitted
to them。 The sitting was suspended for more than half an hour。
As usual in such cases； the excitement in the Court communicated
itself to the crowd outside in the street。 The general opinion
hereled； as it was supposed； by one of the clerks or other
inferior persons connected with the legal proceedingswas
decidedly adverse to the prisoner's chance of escaping a sentence
of death。 〃If the letters and the Diary are read；〃 said the
brutal spokesman of the mob； 〃the letters and the Diary will hang
him。〃
On the return of the Judges into Court； it was announced that
they had decided； by a majority of two to one； on permitting the
documents in dispute to be produced in evidence。 Each of the
Judges； in turn； gave his reasons for the decision at which he
had arrived。 This done； the Trial proceeded。 The reading of the
extracts from the letters and the extracts from the Diary began。
The first letters produced were the letters found in the Indian
cabinet in Mrs。 Eustace Macallan's room。 They were addressed to
the deceased lady by intimate （female） friends of hers； with whom
she was accustomed to correspond。 Three separate extracts from
letters written by three different correspondents were selected
to be read in Court。
FIRST CORRESPONDENT： 〃I despair； my dearest Sara； of being able
to tell you how your last letter has distressed me。 Pray forgive
me if I own to thinking that your very sensitive nature
exaggerates or misinterprets； quite unconsciously； of course； the
neglect that you experience at the hands of your husband。 I
cannot say anything about _his_ peculiarities of character；
because I am not well enough acquainted with him to know what
they are。 But； my dear； I am much older than you； and I have had
a much longer experience than yours of what somebody calls 'the
lights and shadows of married life。' Speaking from that
experience； I must tell you what I have observed。 Young married
women； like you； who are devotedly attached to their husbands；
are apt to make one very serious mistake。 As a rule； they all
expect too much from their husbands。 Men； my poor Sara； are not
like _us。_ Their love； even when it is quite sincere； is not like
our love。 It does not last as it does with us。 It is not the one
hope and one thought of their lives； as it is with us。 We have no
alternative； even when we most truly respect and love them； but
to make allowance for this difference between the man's nature
and the woman's。 I do not for one moment excuse your husband's
coldness。 He is wrong； for example； in never looking at you when
he speaks to you； and in never noticing the efforts that you make
to please him。 He is worse than wronghe is really cruel； if you
likein never returning your kiss when you kiss him。 But； my
dear； are you quite sure that he is always _designedly_ cold and
cruel？ May not his conduct be sometimes the result of troubles
and anxieties which weigh on his mind； and which are troubles and
anxieties that you cannot share？ If you try to look at his
behavior in this light； you will understand many things which
puzzle and pain you now。 Be patient with him； my child。 Make no
complaints； and never approach him with your caresses at times
when his mind is preoccupied or his temper ruffled。 This may be
hard advice to follow； loving him as ardently as you do。 But；
rely on it； the secret of happiness for us women is to be found
（alas！ only too often） in such exercise of restraint and
resignation as your old friend now recommends。 Think； my dear；
over what I have written； and let me hear from you again。〃
SECOND CORRESPONDENT： 〃How can you be so foolish； Sara； as to
waste your love on such a cold…blooded brute as your husband
seems to be？ To be sure； I am not married yet； or perhaps I
should not be so surprised at you。 But I shall be married one of
these days； and if my husband ever treat me as Mr。 Macallan tre
ats you； I shall insist on a separation。 I declare； I think I
would rather be actually beaten； like the women among the lower
orders； than be treated with the polite neglect and contempt
which you describe。 I burn with indignation when I think of it。
It must be quite insufferable。 Don't bear it any longer； my poor
dear。 Leave him； and come and stay with me。 My brother is a
lawyer； as you know。 I read to him portions of your letter； and
he is of opinion that you might get what he calls a judicial
separation。 Come and consult him。〃
THIRD CORRESPONDENT： 〃YOU know； my dear Mrs。 Macallan； what _my_
experience of men has been。 Your letter does not surprise me in
the least。 Your husband's conduct to you points to one
conclusion。 He is in love with some other woman。 There is
Somebody in the dark； who gets from him everything that he denies
to you。 I have been through it alland I know！ Don't give way。
Make it the business of your life to find out who the creature
is。 Perhaps there may be more than one of them。 It doesn't
matter。 One or many； if you can only discover them； you may make
his existence as miserable to him as he makes your existence to
you。 If you want my experience to help you； say the word； and it
is freely at your service。 I can come and stay with you at
Gleninch any time after the fourth of next month。〃
With those abominable lines the readings from the letters of the
women came to an end。 The first and longest of the Extracts
produced the most vivid impression in Court。 Evidently the writer
was in this case a worthy and sensible person。 It was generally
felt； however； that all three of the letters； no matter how
widely they might differ in tone； justified the same conclusion。
The wife's position at Gleninch （if the wife's account of it were
to be trusted） was the position of a neglected and an unhappy
woman。
The correspondence of the prisoner； which had been found； with
his Diary； in the locked bed…table drawer； was produced next。 The
letters in this case were with one exception all written by men。
Though the tone of them was moderation itself as compared with
the second and third of the women's letters； the conclusion still
pointed the same way。 The life of the husband at Gleninch
appeared to be just as intolerable as the life of the wife。
For example； one of the prisoner's male friends wrote inviting
him to make a yacht voyage around the world。 Another suggested an
absence of six months on the Continent。 A third recommended
field…sports and fishing。 The one object aimed at by all the
writers was plainly to counsel a separation； more or less
plausible and more or less complete； between the married pair。
The last letter read was addressed to the prisoner in a woman's
handwriting； and was signed by a woman's Christian name only。
〃Ah； my poor Eustace； what a cruel destiny is ours！〃 the letter
began。 〃When I think of your life； sacrificed to that wretched
woman； my heart bleeds for you。 If _we_ had been man and wifeif
it had been _my_ unutterable happiness to love and cherish the
best； the dearest of menw